PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Pioneering sports administrator Joanne Washburn, who spent 39 years at Washington State University and was involved in a landmark lawsuit to bring equality to women’s sports, has died at the age of 83.

The university said Washburn died on Tuesday in Pullman. Washburn served as women’s athletic director at Washington State from 1965-82.

Washburn, along with 12 other coaches and 39 student athletes, filed a lawsuit in 1979 against WSU for failing to comply with Title IX, the 1972 federal law mandating gender equity for educational institutions receiving federal financial support.

The lawsuit became a landmark women’s rights case, setting a precedent for all public four-year colleges and universities.